'Worst nightmare': Snake catcher films himself being bitten by deadly reptile
A seasoned Queensland snake catcher has lived out his “worst nightmare” after he was bitten by a highly venomous snake during a call out.
Tony Harrison had been called to a home in Pimpama, on the Gold Coast, on Saturday after a resident spotted an eastern brown hiding in her air conditioning unit.
Mr Harrison – who was filming the job for his popular Facebook page which services Brisbane, the Gold Coast and other southern Queensland towns – was startled by the snake as it quickly slithered out from the unit as he lifted it from the ground.
In the footage, Mr Harrison can be heard gasping as the snake bites him on the thumb before a woman asks: “He didn't get you did he? Oh he did! Are you alright?”
Mr Harrison applied immediate first aid with the help of the stunned residents before paramedics rushed him to the hospital.
"[I] see blood, and my worst nightmare was being lived out. Imagine the feeling of knowing you may die in a few hours,” he later said online.
He revealed he was previously bitten by an eastern brown 18 years ago and doctors told him then he might not survive the next.
Mr Harrison suffers from anaphylaxis, where even the smell of snakes blood makes him “puff up”.
After an anxious wait in hospital with his family, it was later confirmed the father wasn’t envenomated.
Following a series of tests, Mr Harrison was eventually released and returned to work on Sunday morning.
Australia’s deadliest snake
The eastern brown snake is one of the most dangerous snakes in the world and inhabits large parts of Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the NT.
Eastern brown snakes are an alert and nervous species who react defensively if surprised, according to the Australian Museum.
The snake’s venom contains powerful presynaptic neurotoxins, procoagulants, cardiotoxins and nephrotoxins, and successful envenomation can result in progressive paralysis and uncontrollable bleeding.
The species has caused more deaths from snake bite than any other across Australia.
If someone believes they have been bitten by an eastern brown, immediate medical attention is a must.
In November, famous snake catcher Stuart McKenzie caught an eastern brown measuring over two metres on the Sunshine Coast.
He said it was the biggest he’d ever seen.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
